Why Leaders Hesitate: Overcoming Inaction

Leaders Face Problems Every Day

Leaders are constantly faced with the need to initiate change from addressing small daily issues to capturing major strategic opportunities. They know the consequences of failing to make changes eventually compound – creating bigger problems down the road. Yet, many leaders will go to great lengths to avoid changing how things have been done before – the status quo. 

Staying in the Comfort Zone

Many leaders choose to stick with the familiar, avoiding change because it feels safer or because they don’t want to disrupt existing processes and people – they believe the problems they know are safer than the problems they don’t. Staying in their comfort zone prevents leaders from embracing new solutions or addressing problems at all.

The Fear of Failure

Fear of failure often paralyzes leaders, making them avoid decisions because any change carries the risk. Instead of acting, they deny, delay and avoid. Or they default to safe, familiar approaches regardless if they are appropriate to address the issue. 

Risk Aversion

Ineffective leaders avoid taking risks, worrying primarily about potential negative outcomes instead of taking a balanced approach to risk management. This risk aversion keeps them from exploring new ways to solve problems.  Innovative ideas are stifled because breakthroughs are always initially unproven.

Pressure to Always Be Right

Leaders often feel pressured to always have the right answer, which discourages them from seeking help, relying on subordinates or trying outside ideas. This expectation stifles innovation and keeps unfamiliar problems from being addressed. In their expectation to always have the answer, leaders don’t base decision on merit.

Leaders Who Broke the Status Quo  

• Reed Hastings – Transformed Netflix by moving to streaming, despite fears of losing their core audience.
• Satya Nadella – Led Microsoft into the nascent and costly cloud computing industry, reviving the company’s growth.  
• Howard Schultz – Closed all Starbucks stores for retraining, restoring the brand’s quality and customer loyalty.
• Indra Nooyi – Shifted PepsiCo’s focus to future-proof PepsiCo’s portfolio and brand.    

In each case, these leaders took bold steps that went against the norm and ultimately propelled their companies forward.